Isolation and characterization of microorganisms involved in the degradation of refined petroleum products polluted sites in elele, rivers state, Nigeria

The isolation and characterization of microorganisms involved in the degradation of refined petroleum products polluted sites in Elele was carried out. The total aerobic mean plate count for petrol, diesel and kerosene ranged from 6.16 + 0.10 to 0.50 +0.7Log10cfu/g, 5.03 + 0.17-8.01 + 0.18 Log10cfu/g, 4.11 + 0.17 to 5.65 +0.33Log10cfu/g respectively. The fungal mean count for petrol, diesel, and kerosene ranged from 5.89 + 0.28 - 6.40 + 0.23Log10cfu/g, 5.29 + 0.07-6.59 + 0.06Log10cfu/g, 4.01 + 0.10 -5.78 + 0.19Log10cfu/g respectively. The hydrocarbon-utilizing bacterial mean count for the petrol, diesel and kerosene ranged from 5.03 + 0.03 - 6.25 +0.02Log10cfu/g, 4.01 + 0.11 – 5.33 + 0.01Log10cfu/g and 4.01 + 0.44 – 5.05 +0.02Log10cfu/g respectively. The hydrocarbon-utilizing fungal mean count for the petrol, diesel and kerosene ranged from 3.97 + 0.06 – 5.77 + 0.33Log10cfu/g, 5.01 +0.09 – 6.01 + 0.11Log10cfu/g and 4.95 + 0.01 – 5.25 + 0.03Log10cfu/g respectively. The bacteria isolated from the petrol polluted suites their percentage occurrence were Bacillus (34.2%), Pseudomonas species (28.9%) Klebsiela species (21.1%) and Acinetobactero (15.8%) while the fungi were Aspergillus species (33.3%), Penicillin species (44.4%) and Saccharomyces soeciesn(22.2%). Diesel polluted site were Bacillus (38.5%), Citrobacter species (34.6%), Acinetobacter species (26.9%), Candida species (37.8%),Aspergilllus species (31.1%) and Penicillin (31.1%). Kerosene polluted sites were Pseudomonas species (36.8%); Klebsiella species (34.2%), Citrobacter species (28.9%), Candida albicans (48.1%) and Saccharomyces species (51.9%). The work showed that these microorganisms can be used in the degradation of these petroleum products if they contaminate the environment.